Mass Deception: Moral Panic and the U.S. War on Iraq
The attacks of 9/11 led to a war on Iraq, although there was neither tangible evidence that the nation’s leader, Saddam Hussein, was linked to Osama bin Laden nor proof of weapons of mass destruction. Why, then, did the Iraq war garner so much acceptance in the United States during its primary stages?
Mass Deception argues that the George W. Bush administration manufactured public support for the war on Iraq.
Scott A. Bonn introduces a unique, integrated, and interdisciplinary theory called
“critical communication” to explain how and why political leaders and the news media periodically create public panics that actually benefit both parties.
Using quantitative analysis of public opinion polls and presidential rhetoric pre- and post-9/11 in the news media, Dr. Bonn applies the moral panic concept to the Iraq war--that is, he demonstrates how the Bush administration created a self-serving public panic in the U.S. after 9/11 over alleged Iraqi weapons of mass destruction with the support of the news media. He critiques the war and occupation of Iraq as violations of domestic and international law.
Finally, Mass Deception connects propaganda and distortion efforts by the Bush administration to more general theories of elite deviance and state crime."
"An impressively documented and researched study of an immensely consequential topic that deserves a wide readership. Highly Recommended."--Choice, Jan 2011
"This book is a timely contribution to the emerging study of state crime. Bonn does a fine job of explicating moral panic and elite deviance arguments in the context of the Iraq war. A clear and compelling read."—Gray Cavender, Justice & Social Inquiry, Arizona State University
"Bonn offers a careful analysis of the post-9/11 build-up to the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003. This book should be of great interest to scholars in the sociology of deviance, communication, political science, and to the general public."—Amie L. Nielsen, Department of sociology, University of Miami
"Mass Deception gives the reader a full view of how the media can sell us on anything. Whether it is toothpaste or a war. Used properly even a war based on lies and misinformation can become truth. It also shows the close relationship between the media and government." (Amazon reviewer)
Price: $24.95
Purchase Mass Deception from Amazon
Subtitle: Moral Panic and the U.S. War on Iraq
Author: Scott A. Bonn
Foreword by Michael Welch
Subject: Sociology, Criminology
Paper ISBN: 978-0-8135-4789-3
Cloth ISBN: 978-0-8135-4788-6
Pages: 210 pages, 12 tables, 1 graph
Publication Date: September 2010
Series: Critical Issues in Crime and Society
Read: Chapter 1
Related Articles:
Drew Magazine, Author Interview, Winter 2012 edition
Media News & Views, November 2010: George Bush's Delusional "Decision Points" by Dr. Scott Bonn
Doc Bonn's current popular book on the public’s interest in serial killers titled, “Why We Love Serial Killers” was published by Skyhorse Press and launched in October 2014. Foreword by journalist and author, Diane Dimond.
Emmy-winning TV host and best-selling author, Rita Cosby, says this about Dr. Bonn's new book:
"Considered one of the world's top experts on criminal behavior, Scott Bonn has delivered a book which is so powerful and provocative, you cannot put it down. Indeed, through his diligent work and unparalleled access to these infamous killers who've committed some of the most horrific crimes of our day, he provides chilling and critical insight into these deviant and pathological criminal minds… and reveals the truth behind the headlines."